The untimely death of a good man



My dear Editor,



If you’ve lived any place outside your own country for a period of time you know that when you get upset your political power is reduced to venting your anger in letters to your local newspaper. Lately I’ve had a lot to say and for this I apologize but I’ve also had some important issues recently that could be of help to many of you and I feel this is worth your time.



A countryman and good friend of mine was 60 year old Steven Morgan Fauth. Originally from Santa Barbara, California Steve didn’t know a lot of people in Pattaya but the few people he did know thought a great deal of him. Over the years Steve had visited Pattaya often but only lived in our fair city for the past couple years and then just two weeks ago Steve moved to Kanchanaburi. Steve was semi-retired from his business in the states and had started a trading company here selling handicraft items from Thailand to the rest of the world through his Internet e-bay account.



It seams Steve’s death was caused when he slipped in his shower last Friday. His girlfriend helped him to bed but he complained about his ribs hurting so she called the local hospital. They sent an ambulance but it took nearly 45-minutes to get there with a driver, one male untrained attendant and what we’d call in the states, a “Candy Striper” in attendance. The ambulance gurney was made in Japan for Asians and too small for Steve to use so they half-walked half-carried Steve to the ambulance, all the while he was in extreme pain and gasping for air.



Steve was a little over 185 cm and 105 kilograms, big but not that big for a healthy farang man but Steve’s problems only continued when he got to the hospital. First they tried to put him in a wheelchair but it was too small. Then they tried to lay him on a gurney but his head hung over one end while his feet touched the floor at the other. Finally they had him sitting-up in a chair until he started spiting-up blood.



Steve waited another 30 to 40 minutes to see a doctor. After a short examination Steve was given a bed in what was called the ICU. While in ICU they took his blood pressure but gave him no injections, nor medication of any kind and certainly none of the modern medicines for heart attack victims. When he complained he couldn’t breathe instead of oxygen the nurse gave him tiger bam. Once Steve pushed the nurse’s hand away because she wanted to put a wet cloth on his face but he couldn’t breathe. With this she became aggravated and stormed off not to return again for some time until she’d regained her composure.



Maybe I’m missing something here but I would have thought they’d have better care for standard heart attack victims both Thai & Farang but I guess I’m wrong. What I’ve learned from Steve’s death is that if you’re living in Thailand for any extended period of time you should consider all aspects before moving from a major populated area. This also tells us that maybe it’s best for farangs to stay in the major cities and resort areas only.



Steve’s friends have had his body moved to Pattaya for ceremonies at the Wat in South Pattaya. His cremation was scheduled for Monday but the final insult came to this good man’s needless death when the foundation that brought Steve from Kanchanaburi to Pattaya forgo to bring the death certificate with the body. One of Steve’s friends had to travel to Kanchanaburi and back to bring the right documents before Steve could be cremated under Thai law.



Please friends don’t forget, no matter how wonderful the treatment or how great the service, especially one as visually pleasing as Thailand, make your emergency arrangements in advance because believe it or not, “We’re not in Kansas anymore.”



Sincerely,



Gary T. Bruton

I am not sure if this is copied from the Pattaya Mail, or if you are the original writer, Silom.



There is some good advice contained, such as to make sure of what medical facilities, hospitals, etc are in the area you plan to retire to, but in all fairness 45 minutes is not an excessive time for an ambulance to arrive at a country area in most countries.



There are also some rather strange inconsistencies. The symptoms, for example, such as spitting up blood, are not consistent with a "standard heart attack". Who witnessed all this, and all the other details, and how did they have the time to check where the gurney was made and who for? At 185cm tall (some Thais I know are this tall, or more) he must have had a child's gurney if "his head hung over one end while his feet touched the floor at the other". It all seems a bit strange ...    

I suppose for country areas 45 mins is not long.Even in Sydney City a ambulance is around 15 mins to 20 mins.

It seems ambulances there where he was are private ambulances and the staff are not real paramedics.

Thats the problem with private medical firms where they are in THailand.Symtoms of coughing up blood dont seem to meet with a heart attack.Isnt that a sign of internal bleeding?

Was this a private hospital or a govt hospital he went to?

Its a scary thought . What scares me about Pattaya is that im aware theres no emergency ambulance service,who do u call if you see someone having a heart attack?

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I am not sure if this is copied from the Pattaya Mail, or if you are the original writer, Silom.

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It is a copy and paste job.  

vbbb is going to give me a heart attack   

vbbb,



actually all the hospitals in Pattaya, government (Banglamung) and private (PIC, Bangkok-Pattaya & Pattaya Memorial), have emergency ambulances, plus the Sawang Boriboon Foundation emergency vehicles.